Journey to the East
by Lialor0001
Summary: Conner makes a journey to the east to learn from a mentor and former comrade of his late mentor, Achilles. The journey leads him to an Island located off the coast of Shanghai, China. He would learn from and later set off with the Eastern Assassins to find another missing piece of Eden.
1. Chapter 1

Journey to the East

Chapter 1

Conner felt the warm breeze against his face, he never been this far from home before. The sea was the calmest that it had been since he started his journey from the harbor of Boston. One day while cleaning out his old mentor's attic, he found an old journal of Achilles, documenting his many adventures outside of the colonies. As Conner flipped through the pages and read the fascinating accounts left by his mentor, he was seized with the sudden urge to follow in the footsteps of the man, who taught him the ways of Order. Achilles had been more than a mentor but also a father figure to him. He felt he never had enough time with him; he wanted to know the man more. Not only that but he desired more knowledge of what it really meant to be an Assassin.

For days, he read and reread the journal, the names of so many mentors and masters caught his eyes. His obsession became so apparent, even his friends started to comment on it. In the end, Conner came to the conclusion that the only way to cure his obsession was to set out and find these mentors and the knowledge that he wished to acquire about the Order. So after months of travel, bad weather and being on a ship with little space, Conner saw the small form of an Island. He gazed at the small sketches of the Island, drawn into the journal. It was named, Peach Island, he home of the mentor that once served with Achilles back in his youth, a man by the name of Fong Shoo. From what Conner read of Master Fong, he was a genius. A man that his mentor both admired and shared a rivalry with, of all the people mentioned in the journal, his mentor wrote the most about Master Fong.

"You are an interesting fellow aren't you?" A beautiful blonde woman walked toward Conner. She came to stand beside him. "What is it that you are always reading?" She peeked over his book a little.

Conner put the book away, the beautiful blonde always made him nervous. She was the daughter of the captain, a man Conner did a favor for. She stood as tall as him, which made him even more uncomfortable because her blue eyes always met his when conversing with him.

"I love the sea, don't you?" She fixed him with her pretty eyes and smile.

"It is…very beautiful." Conner mumbled distracted by her breathing, the way her chest heaved up as she sniffed the sea air.

"I think so too," The woman smiled and extended her hand out to Conner. "My name is Alice Wilkins; I have not introduced myself yet. How do you do?"

"I am R- Conner," He replied politely, taking her hand. "I am quit fine…Miss Wilkins…"

"Just Alice, Wilkins sounds too formal and stuffy. Besides, I should like us to be friends." She gave him a mischief smile; she clasped his hand with both of hers.

It took Conner a good moment for him to register her meaning. Slowly, he slipped his hand out of hers. "Alright…Alice…the sea is very nice also."

"I love your braids," She reached out to take one in her hand, rolling one of the beads with her fingers. "I find them very attractive on you." The woman winked. "Perhaps you can make me one or show how to make one."

"Ummm…well…my mother showed me how to make it…maybe later." Conner stammered.

"I would like that very much," Alice smiled warmly at him, placing her hand on his arm. "Perhaps you may come by my room later."

* * *

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Yue woke up in a terror as she ripped off her blankets. Her feet, were they smaller? Were they bleeding?

"Young Mistress! What is the matter?" A young woman burst into the room, her face filled with concern.

"My feet! Look at my feet!" Yue continued to shriek at the startle woman, the woman stopped to examine her mistress' feet.

"Mistress…I am afraid that I do not understand yo-" The younger girl cut off the other woman abruptly.

"They are not smaller are they? They are normal right?" The younger girl proceeded to inspect her feet franticly. "Please tell me that they are not irregular or smaller than they were yesterday."

"Mistress, you must have had a nightmare. Your feet are fine, nothing is irregular about them." The woman informed the young girl kindly, walking over to her, she place a hand on her normal yet tiny feet. "You must have been dreaming."

"Oh…" The young girl fell back on her bed in relief. "I was so scared…I had the most horrid dream. I dreamt that my auntie cut off my feet and bonded them by force. And the worst part was that I was married to a moron." Yue rolled to her side and held herself. "The horror."

"Now little bird," The woman patted her head gently with a sweet smile. "You know that your aunt would never do such a thing to you," She paused for a second. "At least not forcefully without your consent."

"Of course I know that…" There was a hesitation in the little mistress's voice. Yue scooted over to her maid's lap and laid her head down. "I know that…but the dream auntie scared me.

"You know your father would never allow anyone to bind your feet," Her maid giggled softly. "He loves you too much to let you marry."

"When is father returning home? And my brothers?" Yue looked up at her maid.

"A few days maybe, but they should be back by the end of this week. You never know with Master Fong." Her maid pulled away from her. "This reminds me, you must get dress immediately. You are aware that your aunt has invited you to tea today and you must be presentable."

"Is it today?" Yue whined like an unhappy child, being told she needed to eat her vegetables. "I could have sworn it was tomorrow."

"Yes, now rise up. You are already late as it is and you know how your aunt is about tardiness." The maid went over to the closet. "I already picked out what you should wear and sent a message to your aunt about the delay."

"Mo Li, what would I do without you?" Yue smiled. "I would surely perish."

* * *

Conner stepped off the boat, waving goodbye to Alice and her father and the other friends he made on the ship. He could feel the stares of the locals. Some were discreet while others were just plain obvious but it didn't deter him. Even back at home, people would either staring at him with fascination or dislike. He reached for his bag when he noticed a young boy hovering dangerously near the edge of the dock. The parents were too busy staring at him to noticed, the child went head first into the water, the splash broke the spell for the parents. Screaming, the couple ran toward the edge of the dock. Before anyone could react, Conner stepped in. Tossing his bag to the side, he leaped into the water and grabbed the boy.

Everyone stopped to stare as Conner rescued the young boy and brought him out of the water. The parents ran toward him, the mother grabbed the child in her arms. She cried and kissed the crying child.

"Oh thank you sir…thanks you." The woman said to him through her tears, she hugged the child tightly. "Oh my sweet Tenten…my baby."

"Thank you young man, you saved my boy." The father held his hand out to Conner. "I am forever in your debt."

"It was no trouble, I was only glad to help." Conner replied cordially to the man.

He turned to leave when the man stopped him. "Please young man, I am in your debt. You have save my only son, is there anything I can assist you with?"

Conner paused; perhaps the man could be of some help. He turned back around. "Actually, I am looking for a Master Fong Shoo. Do you know of him?"

The man brightened up. "Of course, you must be a friend of Master Fong. It would make sense."

"What do you mean by that?" Conner raised a quizzical brow.

"Master Fong often has foreigners such as yourself visit him from time to time. I should have known by the way you dressed. The hood should have given it away." The man answered him. "You should come to my noodle shop first, I will feed you and afterward I shall take you to his manor."

Conner followed after the couple and their child, grateful to find a friend in a foreign country so soon. "Tell me friend, what is Master Fong to the people of this Island? You spoke of him in such a respectful manner?"

"Master Fong practically owns the Island; he is a very kind and generous man, if not a bit eccentric. His family has made their home on this island for several decades now." The man chatted away. "Oh, where are my manners though." He stopped suddenly and cupped his left hand over his right and raised them in a salute to Conner. "My name is Tang Kong and this is my wife, Mei and our son, Tenten."

"My name is Conner…Kenway." Conner replied to the man, adding the last name for some odd reason. He didn't know why he just used his father's named, it sounded odd yet right at the same time. Conner imitated the man's form of greeting as best as he could to show respect.

At that moment, a carriage passed by them, Conner nearly got hit but moved out of the way just in time. A bored looking young girl was staring out of the window, Conner never seen a girl like her before. He could tell that she was probably from a noble or aristocratic class by the clothes she wore and her strange head piece. The bored expression disappeared from her eyes the moment they say him. Her eyes lit up immediately, she smiled at him but the curtains were suddenly pulled over her face. A moment later, the curtain from behind the carriage was pushed aside and the girl appeared again. Conner thought she had an infectious smile, her eyes lit up along with the smile. She waved at him and he found himself waving back at her.

"Who is she?" Conner asked his new friend.

"That is Madam Wu's carriage; the girl waving at you must be her niece. A strangely bright girl but very sweet none the less." Responded Tang Kong to his question. "Shall we go Conner?"

"Yes, lead on." Conner followed after the man after one last glance at the carriage.

* * *

Madam Wu stared at her niece's feet; they were tiny but not bond. If they lived in the mainland, she would be deemed unmarriageable now at the age of eighteen. If only she had her way, her beloved niece would be happily married and out of the influences of her family's business. Every day she worried more and more about the girl's well-being. Her greatest fear was to have the girl end up like her mother.

"Oh look, a foreigner." Madam Wu paled when the girl spoke up suddenly, glancing out the window, she saw a man in a hood. Suddenly she felt chills run down her spine, not another one. She watched her niece's eyes shone brightly with fascination; it made her sick to her stomach. The same look her sister wore the day she met Yue's father. "Settle down child, I should hope he is not one of your father's strange friends." Grabbing the curtain, she closed it quickly.

Yue wasn't deterred by her aunt's action, twisting around. She opened the back window. "I hope he is a guest of father, he hasn't had a foreigner visit in a while. He looks interesting."

Madam Wu sat back in defeat for the moment; she blamed her niece's behaviors on her father. Yue suffered from an affliction, an affliction caused by over indulgence from her eccentric father. The girl for all her brightness did not understood the rules of the world; she lived in the one her father created for her behind the Fong manor walls. She feared for the innocent and naïve child. But most of all, she feared the girl would one day fall under the allure of her father's secret world as her mother before her. "Nothing is true, everything is permitted" Madam Wu scoffed at those words; "Peace and Safety" is what should be important.

When they arrived at the manor, Yue quickly jumped out of the carriage much to her aunt's disapproval. She smiled back at her aunt sheepishly and began to enter the gate with all the dignity of a noble lady. Sighing, Madam Wu followed her but not before stopping one of the servants.

"Turn away any foreigners or strange man that comes calling, tell them that Master Fong is not taking any visitors now." She instructed the servant.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A foreigner came to call on Master Fong as Madam Wu predicted. The guard at the gate told Conner the Master was away and the manor could not take any visitor at the time.

"Please sir, is there no way for you to convey a message to him from me?" Conner asked the man politely.

"I am sorry but I was specifically instructed to turn away any visitor, perhaps you should try again in a few days when the master returns." The guard spoke to him in a calming tone, for he was not an unkind man.

"When will that be?" Conner pressed the guard, trying not to sound too pushy.

"A few days at the most but with Master Fong, who knows?" The guard stretched his head. "He is a strange man and usually returns home when he feels like it.

"I see…thank you for your patience." Conner was not completely satisfied with the answer.

He walked away and ducked behind a wall. Looking up, he decided to scale it and find Master Fong himself.

Bored of painting, Yue went to sit down by a bench to contemplate what to do for fun. She fingered the jade pendent around her neck, she hardly ever took the necklace off, and it belonged to an important ancestor of hers. After a while of doing absolutely nothing, she returned to her chambers. Yue undid the braids in her hair, took out the pins and flowers and let her hair loose. She went into her closet to find the plainest article of clothing she could find; unfortunately it proved harder than she thought. Finally frustrated with all the silk robes and pretty jackets, an idea hit her. She sneaked outside and down the hall towards Mo Li's room. Knocking politely, Yue entered when no one came to the door. Stealthily, she tip toed into the room. Opening one of the chests, she rummaged around until she found a purple cotton robe. It was perfect; Yue took it back to her room. Parting her hair into two braids, Yue put on her most comfortable slippers. She only sneaked out of the manor on three occasions during the daylight, most of the time she escaped outside of the walls only during the night.

Going over to her vanity table, Yue opened a jeweler box, hidden underneath the box was a secret compartment. Concealed in it, a bracer of the finest leather, her father had it commission for her when she turned fifteen. Yue put bracer on her arm and slipped a dagger into it, her father told her to be always careful if she should ever venture outside. Pulling her sleeve over it, Yue made her way out into the courtyard.

Conner grabbed the wall and hauled himself up; his face collided into Yue's face as she lugged herself up also from her side. Yue opened her mouth, accidently catching his bottom lip in-between her lips. The two froze, neither said anything at first. Yue screamed and fell backward, Conner let go of the wall. He landed on the ground, his knees buckled. His face red and unable to understand what just conspired.

Yue landed on her butt, she blinked in confusion. Getting up quickly, she scaled the wall. As she stood on the wall, she saw the man try to run. He was the foreigner from before, tossing her braids to the side; she leaped in front of him.

"You!" Yue pointed at him but stopped for a moment to take him in. He seemed smaller from where she stood an instant ago and also less intimating. The foreigner stood a foot taller than her, his face covered by half of the hood. She actually did not prepare a dialogue before deciding to corner him. "Ummm…who are you?"

"I am Ratonhnhaké: ton," Conner replied rapidly without thinking. He hadn't used his real name in a while. "Or ah…Connor…"

The girl raised one brow. "Which is it? Connor or Ratonhnhaké: ton?"

"Connor…or Ratonhnhaké: ton is fine." Conner stammered under the girl's quizzical gaze.

"You speak very slowly but your grasp of our language is tolerable, foreigner. Where did you learn it?" She inquired of him, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"A priest taught me on my voyage here, I spent months on a ship with nothing else to do." He said to her, watching her as curious as she surveyed him.

"Ratonhnhaké: ton," She repeated his true name with no pause or trouble; it seemed to rolled out of her mouth.

"You said my name right." Conner regarded her with surprise, no one other than his tribe spoke his name right.

"Of course, I repeated after you didn't me?" She gave him a little smirk. "Ra-on-hang-gah-ton, I like it. Ratonhnhaké: ton… Ratonhnhaké: ton." A softer smile crossed her lips. "Connor, Conner…I like that also. It suits you too."

Conner observed her for a second; she carried an air about herself. A mixture of haughtiness and intelligence yet he could tell by her mannerism that she held a certain innocence about herself.

"Who are you and what is your name?" Conner asked her out of inquisitiveness.

"Are you here to see Master Fong?" The girl answered with another question. "You're not an Assassin are you?"

"What do you know of Master Fong? And Assassins?" The girl suddenly revealed a blade from underneath her sleeve, quick as lightening. She shot it at him.

Connor caught it before the blade impaled his face; he was caught off guard and surprised by her swiftness. She threw it rather skillfully, if his reflexes had been a little slower, it would have hit him between the eyes.

The foreigner passed her test, truth be told she had not intended her shot to be so good. Her father was right about practicing the same shot over and over again, it made her aim better.

"So you were planning to sneak in and see him?" The girl ambled toward him, beaming cheerfully.

"Are all women in this country as friendly as you?" Connor said to her, he thought her fascinating and yet terrifying at the same time.

"I wouldn't know, I only know a handful of women and would not be a good judge of that," The girl extended her hand out to him; she seemed to have forgotten she threw at knife at him. "May I have my blade back?"

Connor gave her the blade back only to have her hold it up to his neck. "Are you stupid? You couldn't possibly be an Assassin. I attacked you and you gave me back my weapon."

Connor calmly stared her in the eyes, in spite of the girl's fire; she didn't have it in her. He knew the difference between people who taken lives and the ones who never even killed anything other than a pesky house fly. Her eyes were neither cold nor that of a killer.

"You shouldn't be playing games, if I was a bad man. You would be dead now." Connor spoke to her in a serious yet not unkind tone.

His words seemed to register with her; the girl's expression looked uncomfortable for a second. Suddenly, Yue sensed the seriousness of the situation. She lowered her blade only to swift at his side. Connor jumped back abruptly, the girl flipped backward impressively, landing on her feet.

"What's this thing?" Yue held his tomahawk in her hand, swinging it up and down.

"That's mine! It's not a play thing," Connor attempted to keep a calm disposition, but the girl appeared to enjoy getting on his nerves. "You could hurt yourself."

At that moment, touched the end of the blade and cried out. "Ouch!"

"I told you-" Connor said in a worried voice, believing that she cut herself. "Are you okay?"

"Kidding." The girl giggled, holding up her uninjured hand for him to see. "I like this thing, it my new toy now." She swayed it up on her shoulder, careful not cut herself with the blade. "But if you want it back, you can…play a game with me to win it back." She added, grinning impishly.

"No," Connor folded his arms stubbornly. "I refuse to win back what belongs to me; you cannot just take something and claim it as yours."

"Okay but I am still not giving it back to you." She replied in a cheeky voice, determined to provoke him. She decided she liked this foreigner, this was the first time she felt such thrill in irritating someone. She enjoyed his reactions, the way he tried so hard to be polite and calm. Even now, she saw no outward hostility. His manners were similar to her father, kind and composed.

"You may keep it," Connor used a different tactic, he thought if he gave her what she wanted, she would lose interest in the matter.

Yue opened her mouth; she knew when someone was trying to reverse the situation. "Okay, I'm keeping it." She turned and strolled away. "I'm going to hit rocks with it."

"Wait! Don't do that, it's not made for you to hit rocks with." Connor lost a little of his composure.

"If you catch me, I will give it back to you." She waved it at him, watching his face with glee. Throwing him a challenging smirk, she took off running.

Back in his village, Connor was a championed at hide and seek, and tag. All the children tried their best but he would always find them. He thought it would be simple enough to catch a girl half his size. Little did he know that he what he was dealing with. Yue often play tag with her father's disciples, no one could ever catch her, large or small, she could out run anyone. The villagers thought it a strange sight, a hooded figure chasing after a young girl but no one intervene. The two were leaping over carts and moving too fast anyway.

Connor chased her into a wall, certain he'd cornered her. To his surprise, she didn't stop, she ran toward the wall. Walking up on it, she summersaulted backward and over him.

"You are going to have to do better than that." Yue laughed.

Not to be discouraged, he followed her until they reached the docks. Yue ran out onto the pier, this time she stopped. Whirling around, she saw Connor rounding up on her.

"Give up, I win." He strolled up slowly toward her, careful not spook her into jumping. "Unless you want to go swimming."

"I give up, here." Yue held up the tomahawk to him, Connor stared at her suspiciously. It seemed almost too easy for her to simply give up. "You win, I can't swim." She looked down at her feet, shuffling them. "So you win."

Yue didn't like to look at people when she lied; she often averted her gaze to avoid looking guilty or laughing. But Connor did not know that, he trusted her words and believed the game was over. He never met anyone as playful as Yue. Admittedly, he found her mischievousness rather endearing.

"Kidding," Connor blinked in surprise. Yue kicked her foot out, tripping him on purpose. Shoving his back, Yue pushed him into the water. Connor dived in head first.

Deprived any other thoughts, Yue started to walk away whistling a cheerful tune, waving the tomahawk around carelessly.

Connor pulled himself out of the water and back onto the dock. Spitting out water, he stared after her. She was a pretty wicked girl, evil incarnation into the most innocent form to walk the earth.

"Hey! I am not done with you, how about a trade." Connor called out to her.

Yue stopped short, interested in what he had to offer her. She gasped in shock at the sight of her family heirloom, dangling in his outstretched hand. Connor knew he took something of equal trade from her.

Yue's hand flew up to her chest. "Thief! How dare you take something that isn't yours?"

Connor raised one brow, the audacity of the girl. "You have taken something of mine, now I have something of yours."

"I didn't even feel it," Yue went from shock to admiration. How could she not have noticed it when he swiped it? "You are amazing." Her reaction surprised Connor, although he should really stop being surprise by now. This girl possessed the wild spirit of the wind and the changeable nature of the sea.

Yue returned Connor's tomahawk to him and he did the same with her pendant. "That was the most fun I had in a while." Suddenly she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a pale pink embroidery cloth. "Here, you can clean yourself up with this."

"Thank you," Connor accepted the cloth; he wiped his wet face with it. A sweet fruity scent filled his nostrils, he liked the comforting smell. The two were sitting on some crates, still at the docks. "You have a strange way of making friends; do you do this with everyone?"

"No," Yue shuck her head. "Only if I like you or I think you are fascinating." She gave him a side glance "As it so happen, I think you are both."

Connor blushed slightly, the girl spoke very frankly "I-I came here to find a teacher, Fong Shoo."

"Ah…so you wish to be a disciple of Master Fong." Yue nodded her head in understanding. "Unfortunately he isn't home at the moment but if you like, I can arrange a meeting when he returns later."

"I would be most grateful…" Connor paused for a moment. "I am sorry but I do not know your name."

Yue didn't say anything at first. She stood up slowly. "I have to go now,"

"I am sorry, did I say something wrong?" Connor feared he angered her; did he break a custom by asking for her name so informally? He wasn't entirely sure of how to conduct himself in this strange new country.

"No, you did not," She gave him a reassuring smile. "But I am a merely a servant and I have to return to the manor now," Yue curtsy to him politely. "Where may I find you again? Where are you staying?"

"By the large lake outside of the village." Early he went exploring for a place to camp out, he came upon a glorious lake, perfect for setting up camp.

"You mean Lake Lu Kai. No one lives by the lake, are you camping out there?" Yue asked him, her voice a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"My people often enjoy sleeping under the stars, if you are trouble by it, you need not be. For I would rather lay under the stars than in a closed up room with nothing but darkness to keep me company." Connor replied truthfully.

"You are a most fascinating person Ratonhnhaké: ton Connor." Yue strolled back over to stand before him. "I will give you a name, if you remove your hood. I can't imagine you see too will with it over your face all the time."

Connor made to lift the hood but she did it for him. He watched her face; there was a natural prettiness about her features. A heart-shaped face with high cheek bones, smooth skin porcelain, pretty eyes, long lashes and a plump mouth. She possessed a slim figure, small waist and a short stature. Which probably contributed to her lightness of feet, the wind seemed to carry her lithe built while in motion.

Yue examined Connors face after the hood came off. He had a strong and noble face, exotic and different from what she was used to. "You are not unattractive…you have the look of a warrior."

Connor took her comments as a compliment; he could hear it in her voice that she meant it sincerely. "Now will you give me a name?"

"Mo Li," Yue responded back to him without skipping a beat. "I have to go now Ratonhnhaké: ton."

"Farewell friend." Connor held his hand up in a wave as she spun around once more to walk away.

"Farewell friend," Yue cocked her head back to say goodbye. "I will come see you again tomorrow if I can."

Yue already disappeared from sight when he realized he forgotten to ask her what she knew about the Assassins. Not only that but he never found out why she was climbing the walls. Connor smiled wistfully, who was this girl? He hardly knew her yet she already captured him in some way. Not to mention her running skills and dexterity really impressed him. Connor held on to her handkerchief still, he put it into the breast of his coat. "Strange girl."


End file.
